Starbucks

Let me tell you about the tea!
I quit drinking coffee and pretty much all caffeine in April of 2015. I still love the aroma of a coffee shop, but I have to find an alternate beverage.
The barista was very helpful in assisting me with my choice of tea. There is a menu card and the ones with 0 – 4 black dots beside them indicate the caffeine level.
I ordered the Youth Berry. She puts 2 teabags into a grande cup. It was ruby red in colour and smelled heavenly. I’m not a huge fan of açaí berry, but it was surrounded by enough other stuff that it was merely enhanced, not overpowering.
Service was swift and friendly. It was steady traffic, but not crowded. Miss Laini and I had a lovely visit :)
One thing with the ladies washroom. We are not sure that the locking mechanism works. We did not actually test our theory. Just a hunch.

As far as Starbucks goes, this one is pretty awesome. Service is comparable to other starbucks around the city (which does mean it’s slower than tims) and everyone is friendly and welcoming. It’s nothing that stands out, but it’s cozy and it’s probably one of my favourite Starbucks in the city. Their drive through always makes my day too if I ever go through early in the morning!

One of my favorite Starbucks in town. My basic qualifications for a coffeehouse are met or exceeded here:
1. Coffee– Good.
I far prefer Starbucks to Second Cup, which tastes as if it’s been strained through sweaty gym socks.
2. Traffic– Busy, but not horrifically so.
It can be loud sometimes, but that’s what earphones are for.
3. Writeable– Yes!
I’m not one of those people who always grab the cushy chairs in front. I’m one of those people who grabs the outlet in back for my laptop, because I need the table space to spread out and work on my novel.
The baristas are friendly and they work pretty fast. For the first year or so I was in Canada, I couldn’t work yet, so got quite used to coming here in the morning for several hours and getting lots of writing done. It still has that special vibe for me, and I tend to get more (and better) work done here than anyplace else. I’m in trouble if it ever closes!

Starbucks can feel quite impersonal, but the Kingsway location feels markedly different. Great baristas, an interesting roster of regulars and regular fly-​bys to and from the City Centre Airport make this location interesting to visit. The coffee isn’t different than what you’d find at any other location. It’s consistent, which is good. The baked goods seem to be much tastier than I remember them… perhaps the recipes were switched up. There’s a couple of outdoor tables and chairs, but they overlook a parking lot and busy street, so there isn’t much to see there. The big comfy chairs inside are the plum spots (if you’re fortunate enough to snag one).

Just across from the City Centre Airport (ECCA) and the Air Museum you’ll find this comfortable Starbucks. It’s not too far from downtown if you were looking for a meeting or workplace with loads of free parking. I would come back to this one.
Busyness — pretty steady traffic coming in. It’s a busy road with a grocery store nearby.
Noisiness — about the usual for a Starbucks. The blenders are noisy. It’s summer. I’ve noticed there aren’t many soft surfaces to absorb noise in most of the Starbucks I’ve ever gone to.
Ambience — It’s comfortable and bright, and the décor is typical Starbucks. It seems to be popular with other laptop users. The air conditioning is just right. Blondie is playing in the background today.
Power — Not too bad. There are outlets for laptop users, but some of the middle tables don’t have outlets.
Free wifi — Yes, of course, and it works well.
Staff — Lots of staff here and they’re friendly.
Seating — There are 16 seats inside with two comfortable armchairs. The tables are a little small for much more than a laptop and a coffee, but there’s one large table that works really well for laying out a bit of work. It also has a small patio with a couple of tables and an umbrella next to the drive-​thru.
Security — As there’s a lot of traffic, it would be wise to watch your laptop and belongings. I know this area borders on an part of Edmonton that’s not the safest.